Council workers demand fair pay!

Sara Huntingford, assistant branch secretary of Unison Nottingham City and Socialist Party member on megaphone

Nottingham City UNISON, UNITE and GMB held a protest yesterday against the 1% pay rise that has been offered to local government workers. Many council workers are low paid and have had, in effect, a pay cut of 18% over the last few years.

Adrian Piction, senior steward for UNISON and Socialist Party member speaks to protest

As well as this, workers at Nottingham City have had their increments frozen, meaning that some of the lowest paid in the council are earning below a living wage.

Unison have been demanding fair pay – an £1 an hour increase for all workers.

Nottingham City Unison branch also have an agreed position of calling on the Labour-controlled council to refuse to pass on the cuts and set a balanced, no-cuts budget using their reserves and borrowing powers whilst building a mass campaign to demand more money from central government.

The Socialist Party supports this position and argues that if Labour are not prepared to do this, in next year’s council elections we should stand candidates who are prepared to stand and fight!